5 Ways to Wear: Bright Pink

Bright pink can be scary. Trust me, I know! This is coming from a girl who didn’t wear any makeup beyond eyeshadow for months (thank goodness I changed my ways!). And this, still yet, coming from someone who rarely wears bold lip colors. (Oh, yeah, you can wear hot pink on the eyes, too… really!)

With Confidence

This will sound silly to some, but there is no sexier way to wear something than with a nice dose of confidence. If you feel comfortable, feel like you’re rockin’ it, then you’re already half-way there. If you feel uncomfortable or are self-conscious about what you’re wearing, it’s going to show, and no matter how well-done your makeup is, it’s not going to come together the way you’d like it to.

With Neutral Eyes

If you’re going to opt for bright pink on the lips, make sure to ease up on the boldness of your eyeshadow. While there is always an exception to this little “rule,” putting emphasis on just one of your features helps the look appear focused and well-executed. Neutral eyes are always a great go-to whenever you’re feeling a little bold for cheeks or lips. I like to alternate between neutral or warm-toned neutrals, depending on what I’m wearing or the occasion. If I’m rocking a more purple-based lip, then I’ll often opt for neutral-tones, rather than adding too much warmth on my eyes. One way to tie-in color from your cheeks or lips into neutral eyes is by using it as a liner, either on the upper or lower lash line. You can also use a slight touch of color in the crease as a tie-in.

Stay-Put Liner: Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner

Smashbox Navy Blue Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner($22.00) is a gel eye liner that goes on creamy and then dries after about a minute. I like that they designed it to stay blendable (wet/creamy) for a minute before it dries to a “smudge-proof, budge-proof finish that lasts all day.” It does, in fact, stay on all day without smudging or budging or migrating onto places it shouldn’t be. It’s available in five shades: Bronze, Dark Brown, Midnight Black, Midnight Purple, and Navy Blue.

I’d definitely love to see Smashbox introduce more shades into their line-up — some fun shades would be awesome to see, but it is still nice tot have five easy, wearable shades. I’ve only tried Navy Blue myself, but I love the soft bluish silver laced in the dark navy base shade. Looks great even with a neutral look on the upper lash line! The pot feels extremely tiny, but I don’t see myself going through this product quickly nonetheless.

Product: 9/10

Value: 8/10

Ease of Use: 8/10

Packaging: 7/10

Recommendation: The product itself is fantastic, and even though the container is tiny, you don’t need much for an application, so one container will last you quite awhile. I will say that I’d prefer a little more bulk to the packaging to make it easier to hold onto, less likely to be lost (since I lose everything), and all that. Because it stays wet for longer, you have more time to work and don’t have to worry about drag.

Sneak Peek: MAC Magic, Mirth, & Mischief

For the holidays, MAC’s Magic, Mirth, & Mischief has a whole slew of new mineralize eyeshadows, but we’ll also be seeing some new shades of dazzleglass, including the two pictured here.

Phiff A light, beige-nude with lots of silver-peach micro glitter. I wasn’t super impressed by this one; it was a little lackluster–it doesn’t impart any color on me, and the glitter color doesn’t change up colors that much. It was like a darker, peachy version of Bare Necessity.

She-Zam A pale, silver-gray with a blue cast and gray-blue micro glitter. This one reminded me a lot of some previous lipglasses like Lightning and Pas-de-deux. It’s a nice shade, just because it can be layered on top of lipsticks to add a different dimension of color.

Product: 8/10

Value: 6/10

Ease of Use: 8/10

Packaging: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Recommendation: If you love dazzleglasses, you’ll love these, too. The glitter is the same, and the colors are sheer like previous shade releases. I did feel likethese went on a little smoother and less sticky compared to other dazzleglasses, though. I still find these low on value (because you pay $4 more for less product than a lipglass–like half!), and as a result, I’m not a big fan of the oversized packaging with not much in it.

Yesterday I posted this neutral look, and today, here’s the tutorial for it Super easy and quick — this is definitely a “go-to” look whenever I need something that looks nice when I’m running out of time.

Guerlain – Ombre Eclat Duo & Liner – Product Photos & Swatches

Guerlain Eyeshadow Duo & Liners ($54.00) come in seven different varieties: L’Heure Brune, L’Heure D’Ambre, L’Heure Rose, L’Heure Fumee, L’Heure Bleue, L’Heure Bronze, and L’Heure de Nuit. Each features two eyeshadows and a coordinating liner. While the shadows are absolutely fantastic — smooth, silky, pigmented — the liner is not nearly as amazing. It can be a little stiff to work with, so you need to dig into the product a bit to get to the underside, which is a bit creamier.

When a quad of eyeshadows goes for $58, I’m hard-pressed to recommend picking up any of these (even though the eyeshadows in it are larger than the quad-sized shadows, it’s still not a great buy). My favorites were L’Heure Bronze and L’Heure Brune, both wearable and easy to use.